Leopard Gecko Setup: Does a Leopard Gecko Need UVB?

The Old "No UVB" Advice vs Modern Practice

For years, leopard geckos were sold as the reptile that didn't need UVB, because they're active at dusk and night and can survive on calcium with vitamin D3. Many experienced keepers and vets now recommend low-level UVB anyway: wild geckos get some UV at dawn and dusk, and UVB helps them make their own vitamin D3.

ReptiFiles suggests a UV index of about 1.0–2.0 at the basking spot for normally colored geckos, and lower (about 0.5–0.7) for pale, low-pigment morphs, with plenty of shade elsewhere. A low-output T5 tube across part of the enclosure does the job. Use a UV meter if you can.

Enclosure Size and Layout

Leopard geckos live on the ground, so floor space matters more than height. ReptiFiles recommends at least 36 × 18 × 18 inches (90 × 45 × 45 cm) for one adult, and bigger is better.

Keep one gecko per enclosure unless you are experienced. Two females can sometimes share a much larger enclosure, but males must never be housed together, and any pair can fight.

Heat: Overhead Is Best, Always on a Thermostat

• Basking surface: 94–97°F (34–36°C), on a flat stone under a heat lamp.
• Warm hide: 90–92°F (32–33°C).
• Cool zone: 70–77°F (21–25°C).
• Night: can fall to about 60°F (16°C).

Overhead heat warms the gecko's back as the sun would. If you also use a heat mat under the warm hide, it must be on a thermostat, because an unregulated mat can burn. Measure with a digital probe thermometer and an infrared thermometer. These are typical ranges from keeper care sheets; check with your vet or a specialist keeper.

Three Hides: Warm, Cool and Humid

• Warm hide on the heated side.
• Cool hide at the other end.
• Humid hide with damp moss or substrate, kept at about 70–80% humidity, to help with shedding and hydration.

Overall humidity should stay fairly low, about 30–40%. Add rocks, branches for low climbing, and plants for cover.

Substrate for a Ground-Dweller

Many keepers now use a naturalistic mix of soil and sand, 2–4 inches (5–10 cm) deep, with flat stones. Paper towels or tile are fine during quarantine. Avoid calcium sand and loose bedding that sticks to food. Feed insects from a dish or with tweezers to reduce substrate swallowed with prey.

Diet: Insects Only

Leopard geckos eat only insects. Offer a variety (crickets, roach nymphs, black soldier fly larvae, mealworms, silkworms), lightly dusted with calcium, plus a multivitamin now and then. ReptiFiles suggests feeding juveniles daily and adults every few days; a healthy adult has a tail about as thick as its neck. A shallow water dish should always be available.

Health: Preventive Care

Find a vet who treats reptiles before you buy, and book a check-up after your gecko settles. Weigh monthly, and check toes and tail tip after each shed for stuck skin. Wash your hands after handling; reptiles can carry salmonella without looking ill.